American attitudes towards family have changed a lot since the 1960s. Young women are less regarded as family property to be given off in marriage, and feminism has thankfully facilitated women making life choices for themselves. It’s helpful, however, to remember occasionally what life was like in this prior era, which really isn’t so long ago. In this novel, Sara Goodman Confino takes us back through the story of a young lady who, in embracing…
Telling her story in a journal, Freda evacuates from London in anticipation of German bombing. She comes from a humble family with weak bonds to each other. Her grandmother Nan is the only person she feels close to, but she soon dies after Freda’s departure. Her mother and father have recently divorced as her father has left for another woman. As a mere twelve-year-old, she is alone in the world. After a railroad trip, she…
When he died in a tragic and unforeseen car crash in 1960, novelist and existentialist Albert Camus had a draft of this work in his briefcase. It was not published until the 1990s, but is the most autobiographical of Camus’ works. The main character, like the author, grew up impoverished in Algeria and escaped a life of the same through education. This tale, properly characterized as a coming-of-age novel, shares how the great writer and…
My daughter is into graphic novels (novel-length comic books), and she asked that I read this book with her. Telgemeier tells her autobiographical tale of growing up with severe teeth problems. You see, she accidentally hit her front teeth when she fell down at age 11. This story shares how the subsequent experiences helped define her coming of age. She does so in a relatable and interesting way through graphic pictures that many youth would…